The present invention relates generally to a fastening assembly, a retainer for such assembly, and a tool and method for fastening, useful, for example, in adjustably securing a lighting fixture to an extrusion element or channel providing a support.
It is known to position a nut to a desired location in a grooved channel and to then fasten the nut in position. Fastening has been effected in various ways. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,483,910 and 4,575,295, fastening is effected by rotating the nut so that a spring biases the nut against inwardly directed flanges of the channel. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,575,594, resilient fingers of a retainer are snapped onto a special carrier for the nut. None of these techniques combine the positioning and fastening steps together.
Pronged tools have been utilized for positioning a spring clip. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,776, a pronged tool is used to push a spring clip onto a stud. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,082, a pronged tool is used to spread apart legs of the spring clip. The actual spreading is done by a semi-circular projection between the prongs. Once spread apart, the legs are wedged between the semi-circular portion and the prongs and thereby kept open. None of these pronged tools are employed in a grooved channel and they are not used to locate or secure a nut into position.